Utter No Words
by Ghostly Fades
Summary: "He won't ever utter a word. It's just how these things need to be for some people." It was so clearly he was Goth Boy and Winter's son. But when he was grown, he could walk but he wouldn't talk.


_**Utter No Words**_

* * *

"He won't ever utter a word. It's just how these things need to be for some people."

When his son was born, he looked every bit like him. Expect the eyes. Those clearly came from Winter. The same black hair that stuck lightly on his head, the way he'd whine softly when to be calmed when in his mother's embrace. It was so clearly he was Goth Boy and Winter's son. But when he was grown, he could walk but he wouldn't talk. At first, they thought he'd was waiting for the right moment, but it didn't happen like that. So, they took him to the doctors and explained what was happening.

Their son was one, almost two years of age, and still no words.

That's when their baby was confirmed to be mute. Goth Boy nodded numbly, thinking back to when he had met another small child that was deaf. Duke Phillips. His father had given him all the comfort when Winter was hit in the stomach by Crystal Montell when pregnant with their baby, and found that he needed to do things his own way.

He wasn't going to ever look for advice from another person again about parenting.

But fathering a mute boy?

Their son - Curtis Takara - hadn't been uttering a word when they took him to the park. He hadn't been doing much either. He'd just hug his little teddy bear that Winter's uncle gave him. He didn't go to the playground and play, he'd just stick around Winter because he was a mommy's boy. And a daddy's boy. Goth Boy wasn't sure how to take it, and began learning sign language from Curtis Phillips, whom his son was named after, and soon enough knew it. Winter had taken it in High School just in case, and she was thankful she knew how to sign. Duke Phillips was three and came over to play with Curtis Takara, both having to be taught sign language from their parents.

But Curtis wouldn't learn until he was old enough.

Curtis' hair was black, like his father, and it was spiked a little bit. A swirl like an ice cream dollop at the back of his head. His red eyes shined when he was happy, much like Winter's eyes would do. He wore a simple blue jeaned overalls with a white t-shirt, his black sneakers finishing the outfit when they were outside.

Goth Boy would look at Ghostly and Violet's kids, Raphael who was three, Jax and Scarlett at two years old, and sighed. They could speak and walk. They wouldn't have to deal with sign language. He couldn't feel jealous because Curtis was a gift who survived a punch to the stomach that could've killed him. Raphael and his twin siblings wasn't his kids. He couldn't feel jealous of them. He wouldn't dare to either. No.

When he looked at Travis and Liberty's son, Ralph, who was Raphael's age, he could talk. He winced. Goth Boy didn't even think Ralph would ever know Curtis simply because Liberty didn't want him around the young boy. So, he didn't introduce Curtis to Ralph. Nor did he introduce him to the Dylan couple. Until Winter took their son and went to the park, bumping into the couple and their young son.

"Who's this little one?" Liberty asked, raising an eyebrow with a cooing voice. Travis beamed widely at the young one. "He-llo."

"What's your name, bud?" Travis asked, bending down to hear the young boy, but Curtis didn't utter a word and Winter winced.

"Curtis," Winter replied. "His name is Curtis." Travis nodded and began cooing at him, but Curtis didn't chuckle. He couldn't even if he wanted too. Winter winced again and rubbed her neck. "He's mute, he won't utter a word."

It stopped the couple and they nodded slowly. Right. They hadn't met a mute child or a deaf child. They didn't know how to deal with this. Plus, they didn't even know sign language. Ralph looked at him, and tilted his head, uttering a hello to the mute boy, and frowned when he didn't reply. Travis pulled his son to the side, and explained the entire thing, only for Ralph to not understand and mutter how weird Curtis. Saying he didn't like him since he didn't reply to him.

Curtis didn't know why, but he simply stared like nothing harmed him. Winter sighed and took Curtis home without a second thought. Goth Boy sighed heavily when he learned of it and knew it would be the cause of a lot of potential friends not happening. But at least Curtis had Duke Phillips to help him through life as they could exchange silent plans viva sign language.

"What are we gonna do?" Goth Boy asked as he placed Curtis to bed for the night, slumping down by his girlfriend. "Curtis is mute. How am I going to live with the fact he's mute?"

Winter frowned, "Do you _hate_ Curtis for muteness?" Goth Boy looked alarmed and shook his head no. How could he hate his son? He wouldn't hate his baby boy, he wouldn't even dare. "He can't help it, Gothy! We can't help the fact he's mute."

"I never said I hated him, and I never will. Why would I hate my own son, Winter? I wouldn't do that."

"It just… you get this look," Winter sighed heavily, "- like you hate Curtis for no reason but his muteness. I don't know what to do and I'm scared too."

"So am I."

Later that week, Curtis had been fond of stuff bears and more so fond of stuff elephants. He could sign the word elephant, and would firmly sign that whenever Winter signed him what he liked the most. Curtis clapped his hands and smiled, getting out a laugh. Goth Boy's heart turned. So, his son could laugh and giggle, but just wouldn't ever talk.

For that, he could live with the muteness.

But he also couldn't live with the fact his son couldn't ever stutter a word. Curtis would never allowed his voice to be heard, because he couldn't speak. For the most part, some part of Goth Boy wanted to blame Crystal for punching Winter when she was pregnant, but another part of him knew it wasn't her fault. Yet, the fact Curtis wasn't going to ever utter a word made his life sad. How could he ever hear the special word of 'papa' being said to him?

The only ever time he'd could see it, would be from sign language.

_I thought being a parent would have that special feeling of being called papa or mama, but now… I can't ever hear that. It's not the same thing from being signed to me, I wish I could hear it from Curtis._

But they had to live with the fact that Curtis would utter no words.


End file.
